Hitler and Bush...

[Lincoln]

Communism would be a geat idea if it were not for human nature. Even in places like Thailand where everyone loves the king and Buddah and people call each other "sister" and "brother" communism will not work. The real world is not one big happy family. Like Imran said, it only takes a few people to screw things up. When they do you need laws and enforcement and protection and authority. The power corrupts and it goes down hill from there.

[Kidlicious]

VetLegion,

Isn't that a Civ 1 picture?

[chequita guevara]

Re: Hitler and Bush...

Originally posted by BeBro
I wonder why such a poorly written thing full of contradictions could be become so influential that it was still seem as basic theory in the former Soviet Union and the other Eastern block countries.

What don't you understand. It's actually pretty straightforward.

First you have to understand about capitalism is that it necessarily leads to the accumulation of masses of capital in a few hands (there are mitigating factors and countervailing tendencies, however). Each crisis (depression, recession, etc) causes firms to fail. At other times, the logic of the market leads to mergers and take overs. Furthermore, simple success leads to the growth of capital in a single firm.

Over time, this leads to monopoly capitalism, a handful of firms dominating most industries, either by being a monopoly (MS, Standard Oil, etc), a trust, or a cartel. By controling their segment of the market, they can command supply, and they can take extra profit.

This creates a contradiction. Now, as any simple econ class can tell you, an excess of capital in a market causes problems. These companies can't leave all this money just sitting around. They need to invest it, to make it "work" for them. Because of the monopolized situation in their market, investing it there will bring no additional profit, and will even lower the profitablity of their currently productive capital.

So, mr moneybags is left with a problem, where to put his money to use? The third world! There, they capital can produce great quantities of profit, as costs are so low. Of course, you want your capital defended, so the British Navy followed the pound around the world. The French Foreign Legion defend the Franc, and so on.

There is, however, adds to the contradiction. Now they have even more profits they need to invest, and quickly the world is carved up. Then they begin eyeing the other empires, to take their colonies, their resources, their labor markets. The next thing you know, world war.

What's so hard to understand?

[Imran Siddiqui]

proof? perhaps you should ask a criminal psychologist about whether or not rapes are isolated incidents

http://www.aaets.org/arts/art13.htm

According to a study of college campuses:

One in twelve male students surveyed had committed acts that met the legal definitions of rape or attempted rape.

That seems like a damn lot to me. As for isolated incidents, do you mean to tell me that 1 in 12 male students who committed acts that met the legal defintions of rape (or attempted rape), and hadn't been charged with it ISN'T all manner of individuals? That's 8.3%!!

This isn't something done by psychopaths. As the article says: Just as with the victim, it is not possible to clearly identify individual men who will be participants in acquaintance rape. It says that those are more aggressive tend to be more likely of committing rape, but plenty of people who are not 'aggressive' also do so.

The idea that all or most acquantance rapists are repeat offenders is ludicrious. Some are, no doubt, but many, many, many are not. The percentage of women who report acquantance rapes is 28%. You don't have guys travelling the country so they can befriend someone and then later have sex with her. That just isn't the case! You have to know the person for it to be acquantance rape. Serial rapists are NOT going to go through all the trouble to know the woman and befriend her because he wants to rape her. In fact most of them don't even think they've DONE rape!

As it says in the article under the 'Reality' heading of the 'Myth/Reality' part:

Women are often raped by "normal" acquaintances who resemble "regular guys."

[Giancarlo]

Just a little quote I find useful in this debate... to show why communism just doesn't work..

Capitalism and communism stand at opposite poles. Their essential difference is this: The communist, seeing the rich man and his fine home, says: "No man should have so much." The capitalist, seeing the same thing, says: "All men should have as much."

—Phelps Adams

(From mostgraveconcern)

[chequita guevara]

Actually, I'd be willing to be that most date-rapists are serial offenders. They don't consider what they are doing to be rape and therefore will continue to engage in such activity until stopped.

[Lincoln]

What exactly does date rape have to do with the cost of Vodka in Russia?

[Sava]

While I don't dispute that study, I fail to see how you can effectively stretch the results to encompass all of America.

I do appreciate the gravity of the situation. I have friends that have been the victim of date rape.

Rape is commited by criminals. Well, okay that sounds stupid because rape is a crime and commiting a crime makes you a criminal. Let me rephrase. Rape is commited by a certain type of person. Certainly not restricted to psychopaths, but certainly commited by men who are garbage and should be castrated.

There is a difference between a brutal attack and a some kinds of date rape... especially if alcohol is involved. Rape is rape... don't get me wrong. Each kind and circumstance is terrible and should be met with the most severe of punishments. But there is a difference between a brutal, predatory, psychopath that commits a violent rape; and the "normal" acquaintances who take advantage of a friend.

We're kind of getting off-track here. But overall, my point is this. AFAIK, the amount of men, as a whole of the population, that commit rape are small in proportion. Certainly, there are enough moral men who are proof that social conditioning can curtail primitive behavior.

[Sava]

The capitalist, seeing the same thing, says: "All men should have as much."

are you joking?

What exactly does date rape have to do with the cost of Vodka in Russia?

I forget, that's why I think we should stop talking about it!

[Giancarlo]

I didn't say that sava. But that is the truth.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Rape is commited by a certain type of person. Certainly not restricted to psychopaths, but certainly commited by men who are garbage and should be castrated.

See, I'm not entirely sure that it is committed by a 'certain type of person'. Because MOST men, IMO, don't know what date rape is. You know, 'convincing' the woman to have sex is considered ok by most men, but when you continue to kiss her even after she has whispered 'no', you are right there at sexual assault (that wouldn't put you in jail or anything, but you get it).

I USED to think that your view was more correct. But I remember a thread HERE, where posters were emphatically saying that "no doesn't always mean no". Then I realized all men have the capability.

We're kind of getting off-track here.

Ok, fine . I'll shut up.

Just be glad this hard drive was wiped clean, or I'd post my undergrad seminar paper on acquantance rape .

[monkspider]

Interesting thread, Che summed up Comrade Vladimir's thoughts on imperialist capitalism nicely.

Anyway, in regards to the question of communism's future success, inevitably, it is the only thing that can work. Capitalism has never really worked, and can never work. It has merely survived, and the state of the world that it has wrought can hardly be called a success. The problem with capitalism is that it is ultimately based on philosophies that are totally upside down from the real world.

If you break things down, there are really only two schools of thought in the world. Those that are all-oriented, and those that are self-oriented. Naturally, commnunism falls into the former, and capitalism into the latter. Now, communism and other similar philosophies are the only ones that represent our true nature, a nature that has been obsecured by centuries of warfare, genocide, greed and so on, true, but the one that represents us as we truly are nonetheless. We will see communism when we evolve to a state spiritually and socially where we are able to once again awaken to that true nature. Some of us, already have, others are well on their way, most are not far.

But if you remember anything that I have ever said here at Apolyton, merely remember this promise. I promise all my friends and comrades here at Apolyton that we will have achieved global communism within no more than twenty years.

[Giancarlo]

Monkspider: You are on this again? Communism won't succeed. Eventually, capitalism will win over the entire world, if it hasn't already. Capitalism is the true success.

You are not messing with my future nor with the futures of millions others.

If my signature hasn't done enough to tell that many won't tolerate you, than I don't know what will.

First you can start by stop shoving your philosophy down others people throats. I want to be honest, I do the same thing. But afterall I am trying to avoid that. It only causes disruption. You claim that capitalism is based on philosophies that are totally upside down to the real world? I think you are wrong. Capitalism is based on the reality, and communism is based on a fantasy.

I will run a militant faction if you even attempt to ruin our lives. If it takes that I would do it and give up everything in my life.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I promise all my friends and comrades here at Apolyton that we will have achieved global communism within no more than twenty years.

I'll bet you 1 million dollars, or how much gold that is worth that this prediction will NOT come true .

Capitalism has never really worked, and can never work. It has merely survived, and the state of the world that it has wrought can hardly be called a success.

It seems to be working where I sit. I'm typing at a personal computer created by capitalist companies, on a website dedicated to a game made by and distributed by commerical capitalism. I definetly think capitalism has been an overwhelming success and boon to the world. This world would be far, far worse without it.

[monkspider]

Fezzie Wezzie- I'm not trying to force anything down anyone's throat. In fact, i would never dare. I have a very laid back policy of people merely taking what they may from my posts. My purpose is merely to share knowledge with others. What they do with it is ultimately their choice. If I can help others in some miniscule way by posting here, then I have served my purpose.

Don't worry Fez, down deep, behind all your hatred of commies, don't you see the beauty of a world living cooperatively, a world living for the betterment of all? Let's not even discuss whether it is feasible at this moment, don't even you, the most outspoken critic of communism, agree that such a world would be desirable?